1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a driving aiding system for aiding the drive by displaying an image picked up by a vehicle-equipped camera on a displaying means provided to a position that is visible from a driver""s seat and, more particularly, a driving aiding system for aiding the backward driving of the vehicle in the hitch coupling operation by backing the vehicle that is equipped with a hitch, which is coupled onto a trailed vehicle, at a rear portion of the vehicle.
2. Description of the Related Art
The vehicles onto which a driving aiding system, that is capable of check the safety by providing a rear-view camera to the rear portion of the vehicle and then displaying the image picked up by the rear-view camera on the monitor screen provided near the driver""s seat when the vehicle is to be backed, is equipped begin to spread. For the purpose of preventing the contact with the rear obstacle when the vehicle is to be backed at the time of parking, the wide-angle camera is employed as this rear-view camera such that the wide range can be covered in one screen.
In order to couple the trailed vehicle such as the trailer, the camping car, etc. to the rear portion, there are vehicles in which the hitch is provided to the rear portion. When the trailer, etc. is coupled to this hitch, the vehicle is to be backed such that the hitch of the vehicle coincides with the trailer side coupler. But it is a very troublesome to back the vehicle with good precision such that the hitch that is fitted to a dead angle position, which is not viewed from the driver, coincides with the trailer side coupler.
If the rear-view camera is equipped on the trailing vehicle side, the driver can back the vehicle while checking the rear side by the picked-up image of the rear-view camera. However, as described above, the picked-up image of the rear-view camera provides the largely distorted screen because the rear-view camera is the wide-angle camera, and also the fitted positions of the hitch and the destination coupler are present at positions floated from the ground respectively. For this reason, it is a considerably skilled operation to cause the hitch and the destination coupler to coincide with each other at one point in a three-dimensional space while looking at the picked-up image of the rear-view camera.
It is an object of the present invention to provide a driving aiding system that makes it possible for the driver to back the vehicle with good precision while looking at a picked-up image of a rear-view camera such that the hitch provided to the rear portion of the vehicle coincides with the destination coupler.
The above object can be achieved by providing a driving aiding system for displaying a picked-up image of a rear-view camera equipped onto a rear portion of a vehicle on a screen of a displaying means arranged at a position, which can be viewed from a driver""s seat, when the vehicle is to be backed, which comprises a locus superposing means for superposing a locus estimated line of a hitch, which is equipped onto a rear portion of the vehicle, on the picked-up image of the rear-view camera to display when a predetermined instruction input is received.
According to this configuration, by fitting the locus estimated line of the hitch to the coupler of the trailed vehicle, the steering angle can be sensed when the vehicle is backed to mate the hitch with the destination coupler. Therefore, the driving operation can be facilitated and also the hitch can be caused to coincide with the destination coupler with high precision.
Also, the above object can be achieved by providing a driving aiding system for displaying a processed image obtained by processing a picked-up image of a rear-view camera equipped onto a rear portion of a vehicle on a screen of a displaying means arranged at a position, which can be viewed from a driver""s seat, when the vehicle is to be backed, which comprises a locus superposing means for superposing a processed locus estimated line of a hitch, that is equipped onto a rear portion of the vehicle, on the processed image to display when a predetermined instruction input is received.
According to this configuration, even if the image to be displayed on the screen is processed to the easily viewed image, the steering angle that causes the hitch to coincide with the destination coupler can be known with good precision. Thus, the driver aiding effect can be enhanced.
Preferably, in the above, the locus superposing means has a means for superposing a line, that is obtained by projecting the locus estimated line onto a road surface, simultaneously on the screen to display when the locus estimated line of the hitch is superposed on the screen to display. Also, the locus superposing means has a means for superposing vertical lines indicating a height of a coupler as a coupling destination of the hitch at a proper interval onto the locus estimated line and a road-surface projected locus estimated line to display. Further, the locus superposing means has a means for superposing a curved line indicating a height of a coupler as a coupling destination of the hitch along the locus estimated line on the screen to display.
According to this configuration, the locus estimated line of the hitch is in the floating state on the road surface with respect to the locus estimated line, and the height of the destination coupler can be viewed easily from the screen. Therefore, the correlation between both locus estimated lines can be grasped in three dimensions, and also the positional relationship between the hitch and the destination coupler, both have a different height respectively, can be grasped precisely. Thus, the driver aiding effect can be enhanced further.
Further preferably, in the above, the locus superposing means has a means for changing the locus estimated line in response to change in a steering angle of the vehicle. Also, the locus superposing means has a means for changing the locus estimated line in response to change in a height.
According to this configuration, even if the steering angle and the height of the hitch are changed, the proper hitch locus can always be provided to the driver. Thus, the steering operation can be carried out to mate the hitch with the destination coupler with high precision.
The above object can be achieved by providing a driving aiding system for displaying a picked-up image of a rear-view camera equipped onto a rear portion of a vehicle on a screen of a displaying means arranged at a position, that can be viewed from a driver""s seat, when the vehicle is to be backed, which comprises a locus superposing means for superposing a locus estimated line of a hitch, that is equipped onto a rear portion of the vehicle, at a maximum steering angle on the picked-up image of the rear-view camera to display.
According to this configuration, in the vehicle that does not sense the steering angle, if the steering is turned at maximum at a point of time when the image of the destination coupler coincides with the hitch locus estimated line at the maximum steering angle, the hitch can be caused to coincide with the destination coupler.
The above object can be achieved by providing a driving aiding system for displaying a processed image obtained by processing a picked-up image of a rear-view camera equipped onto a rear portion of a vehicle on a screen of a displaying means arranged at a position, that can be viewed from a driver""s seat, when the vehicle is to be backed, which comprises a locus superposing means for superposing a processed locus estimated line of a hitch, that is equipped onto a rear portion of the vehicle, at a maximum steering angle on the processed image to display when a predetermined instruction input is received.
By employing this configuration, even if the image to be displayed on the screen is processed to the easily viewed image, it is made possible to operate so that the hitch coincides with the destination coupler. Thus, the driver aiding effect can be enhanced.
Preferably, in the above, the image processing means has a means for superposing the locus estimated line of the hitch at a steering angle of 0 degree on the screen to display. According to this configuration, it is possible to check the direction on the screen when the vehicle is backed straightly at the steering angle of 0 degree, and thus the driving aiding effect can be enhanced.